ok, my buddy wants to mix some reptiles. he wants to mix stuff like frogs, house geckos,anoles,and other things like that. what can be mixed with what?
reptile mixing
- Thread starter basstank
- Start date
It's generally better NOT to mix species at all..... it takes a lot of planning , space and -usually- money.
If you are going to do though there are some basic rules...
the Continent rule- do not mix species from different continents.
the Climate rule- do not mix species from different climates.
The Activity rule- try to limit interaction between species by choosing one that is diurnal or arboreal and the other being nocturnal or terrestrial... if you have one that is diurnal AND arboreal and the other is nocturnal and terrestrial that is the best possible mix.
The Food rule: Obviously don't mix species that are prey for each other... and if possible, always try to mix species with different prey items
Most keepers strongly advise against mixing amphibians (even more so than reptiles) because they are so sensitive to their environments.
If you are going to do though there are some basic rules...
the Continent rule- do not mix species from different continents.
the Climate rule- do not mix species from different climates.
The Activity rule- try to limit interaction between species by choosing one that is diurnal or arboreal and the other being nocturnal or terrestrial... if you have one that is diurnal AND arboreal and the other is nocturnal and terrestrial that is the best possible mix.
The Food rule: Obviously don't mix species that are prey for each other... and if possible, always try to mix species with different prey items
Most keepers strongly advise against mixing amphibians (even more so than reptiles) because they are so sensitive to their environments.
The natural ecosystem represents thousands of food chains. Unless you want to have food chains in tanks, don't mix! Its that simple. You want to get a multitude of reptiles, get a multitude of tanks.
A simple way to create a multiple-species tank is to set up a habitat for an animal that would use a large container of water and put some small fish in the water feature. Not exactly what your friend had in mind but it'd be much simpler than having to figure out what animals would be ok with each other and what wouldn't. The most common response I've heard to this question though is "If you have to ask, you're not exprienced enough to try it."
things like grey tree frogs, green tree frogs, squirrel frogs, Mediterranean geckos, anoles, etc can go together just fine. I would separate for feedings and make sure everyone has multiple hiding spots but otherwise these guys are not going to mess with each other...
coura;4455995; said:
but this should not be an issue if there is only one big anole and one gecko and both have room to hide. It is a little risky but it can be done with someone who is attentive enough.
Just adding in for anybody thinking about this, I wouldn't suggest mixing amphibians and reptiles in general. Amphibians can carry a lot more parasites and other problems with them that otherwise don't effect their species, but can easily have a massive impact on a lot of reptiles.
I think if you want a community tank of some sort you might want to think about just the same species that tend to have more variations in color. Such as crested geckos (although since they get so large, they'd need a large tank for a group, especially if there's more than one male or size differences) or leopard geckos. Although because of their size, it's likely going to be a huge tank project.
I've kept mourning geckos in groups, they're actually quite fascinating to watch. They're parthenogenic, so they just have clutches of 2 fertile eggs that will be a copy of the parent, no male needed. You'd eventually see bullying and egg eating if there's not enough space or not enough food, however. They glue their eggs to top it off, so it's kind of hard to figure out where they are. But they're small and you can get a massive colony going in a 40 gallon tank. Expect escapees if you don't create a smaller opening than a massive sliding lid, however.
I think if you want a community tank of some sort you might want to think about just the same species that tend to have more variations in color. Such as crested geckos (although since they get so large, they'd need a large tank for a group, especially if there's more than one male or size differences) or leopard geckos. Although because of their size, it's likely going to be a huge tank project.
I've kept mourning geckos in groups, they're actually quite fascinating to watch. They're parthenogenic, so they just have clutches of 2 fertile eggs that will be a copy of the parent, no male needed. You'd eventually see bullying and egg eating if there's not enough space or not enough food, however. They glue their eggs to top it off, so it's kind of hard to figure out where they are. But they're small and you can get a massive colony going in a 40 gallon tank. Expect escapees if you don't create a smaller opening than a massive sliding lid, however.